Colonial Roots of Disaster

Providing a context of US policies and the 2008 global financial collapse, this article discusses the exploitative role of bondholders in Puerto Rico’s debt, the secrecy regarding their identity, and the illegality surrounding their behavior. Regardless of the debt that Puerto Rico was accumulating, financial firms were targeting bond offerings, growing more interested in the riskier the debt became. This did not affect the hedge funds, which have ways of protecting themselves with lawyers and lobbyists. This article explains how the hedge funds’ efforts have been effective.

In this article, the author provides a clear and succinct explanation of Puerto Rico’s debt to then explain how Hurricane María exposed the violence of modern colonial capitalism. That is, it laid bare an economy that caters exclusively to US interests, a tax structure that reduces the burden on American companies, a local elite that serves itself before the community, and PROMESA’s colonial nature.

This article considers the devastation and economic effects of hurricanes on the Caribbean region. As the author explains, the Caribbean suffers from an unequal exposure to hazard. Due to poverty and social inequality (which have roots in colonialism and imperialism), the Caribbean’s suffering is augmented during natural disasters. Within these populations, one can also observe the unequal effects on those with social vulnerabilities, like women. The author provides Puerto Rico, Haiti, Grenada, Dominica, among other islands in the archipelago, as examples.

In this interview, Professor Zaire Dinzey-Flores analyzes Puerto Rico’s preparedness for Hurricane María from the perspective of architecture and urban planning. Even though Puerto Rico rapidly became modernized in the 20th century, with most structures made from cement and, thus, hurricane “ready,” in the early 21st century, it became evident that the relationship with US now incapacitated the Island from properly maintaining this infrastructure. This slow collapse was evident before the hurricane with decaying roads, blackouts, water rationing, etc. However, Hurricane María fully exposed the infrastructural collapse.

Hurricane María’s destruction alongside the local and federal governments’ deficient response make Puerto Rico’s colonial condition evident. The author of this article challenges the narrative of the United States’ benevolence, arguing that the superpower is in fact responsible for the Island’s unreasonable food prices, obsolete energy infrastructure, and general fiscal troubles. The detailed historical context provided discusses how Puerto Rico moved from being the US’ capitalist experiment, the promoter of neoliberal policy, and, finally, economically dependent. However, the federal government’s disdain,the Fiscal Oversight and Management Board’s control, and the neoliberal measures taken demonstrate that the US does not have its colonized subjects’ best interest at heart.

The United States government responded significantly slower to Hurricane María than to hurricanes on the mainland. This article outlines all the additional days it took the federal government to provide certain services and then puts this situation into the context of a history of second-class treatment, from early tax laws to PROMESA. The article ends by suggesting ways to move forward—mainly, for Washington to provide aid for the Island’s humanitarian crisis.

The following essay analyses the complex colonial relationship between Puerto Rico and the United States and how that has shaped the island into what it is today. This relationship was only amplified by the lack of inaction after hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico.

This article discusses why the statement “Puerto Ricans are American Citizens” is an inadequate method of gaining aid after Hurricane María. Instead of asking why Puerto Ricans are not treated as U.S. citizens, people should be asking whether U.S. citizenship is desired by the Island’s citizens. Through a brief historical explanation of Puerto Ricans’ U.S. citizenship, we can see how citizenship was imposed and has a separate-and-not-equal nature. Thus, the Unites States should help Puerto Rico, but the Island’s colonial reality should also be recognized.

Considering the very slow progress after Hurricane María, the expression “Puerto Rico se levanta” (“Puerto Rico rises up”) falls short. The author of this article names various dire situations that prohibit a “rising up:” a local economy paralyzed without electricity, hospitals barely working on generators, rampant diseases, closed schools, etc. The author blames the federal government’s lack of action to properly assess this humanitarian crisis. Regardless, after 500 years of struggle, Puerto Rico will rise.

After Hurricane María’s devastation, the US spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on Puerto Rico. However, it quickly became evident that this was insufficient. This article discusses the type of help that the federal government provided and how it has fluctuated. For instance, it was only after the White Fish scandal that Washington awoke from its lethargy. As the author argues, all this makes evident Puerto Rico’s unequal relationship with its colonizer.

This video investigates the combination of the effect of Maria and how U.S colonialism created the perfect storm. Beginning with a crumbling infrastructure due to U.S colonialism., making the territory perfect for companies who wanted a tax break and rich mainland tourists. The U.S essentially manipulated the economy of the island and forced the island to borrow money and create debt. Once Maria hit, the island was already in such a bad shape. Additionally, they received very little help in comparison to Texas and Florida, who experienced their own storms around the same time.

hurricane-ravaged The comic also touches on the rise and fall of Section 936, which pulled the island out of an economic recession by creating jobs, only to plunge them into recession once Section 936 was ended by Bill Clinton. Many lost jobs and the resulting debt is one Puerto Ricans are still struggling with today.[/bg_collapse]

Cycles of Debt and Austerity

The main task of the Fiscal Oversight Board is to pay back creditors. That is, deal with the debt crisis, not the economic crisis. This article explains how understanding this logic helps to understand why there is no plan to help develop Puerto Rico’s economy after Hurricane María. It also shapes many solutions being discussed, such as privatization of Prepa, gas fracking, and austerity measures that will place all the burden on the citizens.

This article provides details related to the amount and types of bonds issued by creditors of the government of Puerto Rico, such as Goldman Sachs, Oppenheimer Funds, and Franklin Funds, and UBS. The focus of this article is the public hearing (vista general) of Title III, where the payment of these bonds is demanded by these companies’ lawyers and where Puerto Rico is represented by the Fiscal Oversight Board. After Hurricane María, while the entire Island is without electricity, the bondholders have not ceased passing motions in the digital archive. However, individual bondholders are not represented under Title III because it is too expensive, and it takes too long to become involved.

After Hurricane María, Prepa bondholders have more reason to worry. Even before the multiple hurricanes, the Fiscal Oversight Board rejected a $9 billion restructuring deal between Prepa and the bondholders and insurance companies. This article describes Prepa’s debt and the varying concerns of its bondholders: for instance, they fear that privatization of the electric company would leave them high and dry.

After Hurricane María, a group of bondholders who own a portion of Puerto Rico’s $72 billion debt offered the Island relief in the form of a loan. Only a few of the creditors pledged to donations to relief organizations (no-strings-attached money). All creditors contacted by The Intercept demonstrated an unwillingness to support moratorium or cancellation of debt payments. This article provides a list of known Puerto Rican bondholders and their responses to the Intercept’s inquiries.

This article describes the Electric Power Authority’s bondholders’ logic when proposing a loan after Hurricane María. For instance, one of the investors states that they are trying to lend where their investors are not disadvantaged. However, the Fiscal oversight Board rejected the offer and stated that the proposal would severely hamper Prepa’s capacity to manage its recovery.

This article describes the back and forth between the hedge funds and the Fiscal Oversight Board. While the hedge funds try to reclaim ownership of the process and undermine the board’s legitimacy in the courts, the advocates for Puerto Rico argue for 79 percent of the debt to be ratcheted up all the way to a full debt cancellation. Even though Roselló and others express Puerto Rico’s dire needs, the bondholders do not show signs of any yielding. Consequently, the Fiscal Oversight Board will have to continue in its plan to maintain a balanced budget, with this goal becoming more challenging after Hurricane María and its consequent demands on rebuilding infrastructure. The Fiscal Oversight Board’s decisions vacillate in the tension of debt forgiveness and undemocratic austerity.

In this interview, Yarimar Bonilla comments on how and why Hurricane María provoked further discussion of the debt’s origins and possibilities of debt forgiveness. For instance, Trump commented on the possibility of debt relief for Puerto Rico’s, but it is still very unclear how this could be executed and what the role of the federal government would be. However, Bonilla also warns of the dangers of debt forgiveness: instead of the debt just being swept under the rug, a full accounting and auditing is still necessary in order to expose corruption and those who are to blame, as well as an explanation as to why this debt is worth eradicating. She also challenged how the Fiscal Oversight Board, instead of working on an auditing of the debt, enforced harsh austerity measures that do not target the right people.

Moody’s, which provides bond credit ratings, determined that the majority of Puerto Rico’s public debt be classified as unpayable: the Puerto Rican government cannot fulfill its debt obligation. Therefore, Moody’s degraded the debt of various entities such as the water authority and the University of Puerto Rico. This article outlines Moody’s different classifications and what each means in terms of the amount of cents per dollar the bondholders will be able to recuperate. However, Hurricane María will drastically affect renegotiations.

Hurricane María occurred at the start of Puerto Rico’s second decade of economic recession. The economic model that has continued to exacerbate the island’s economy was one of transferring public money to private hands. Furthermore, the article describes a recent history of austerity measures, such as the firing of more than thirty thousand public employees and the imposition of the Fiscal Oversight Board. In this context of incompetence and brutal austerity, the two hurricanes provoked a cataclysmic disaster. The solutions appear to be very similar to the problem.

This article describes the Fiscal Oversight Board, a result of the PROMESA bill passed by President Obama, as an external dictatorship. Thus, the author harshly critiques “La Junta” and its austerity measures: austerity during an economic depression only makes the debt problem worse. The author appeals to the fact that Puerto Ricans are American citizens and calls for the federal government to provide money, an economic overhaul, and U.S. statehood.

This article explains the debates over the appointment of Noel Zamot as chief transformation office (CTO) to oversee Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA). The Fiscal Oversight Board appointed him to quicken the utility’s response after Hurricane María. The bondholders are against this appointment, stating that the Board pursued this goal through improper means: they state that The Fiscal Oversight Board is seeking authority that is prohibited by PROMESA.

This article describes the sessions organized by the Fiscal Oversight Board to consult different experts and sectors in order to revise the government’s fiscal plans to consider the new reality after Hurricane María. According to various economists, the possibility of recuperating economically after natural disasters is very low. The specialists also discussed the large population that is leaving the Island and how that will negatively affect the economy. One economist estimates that Puerto Rico’s economic fall will fluctuate between 8 and 15 percent.

Unequal Vulnerability

After Hurricane María, Puerto Rico’s economic disparity became even more apparent when those at the top were ratcheting up private security. This article describes different types of shortages suffered by excluded Puerto Ricans. For instance, due to issues of distribution, supplies often did not reach outside the capital. Other groups the article describes are residents in nursing homes and those who suffer from illnesses.

In the recent surge of coverage on Puerto Rico, there is rarely a mention of race as a factor in Trump’s lacking response to the Hurricane. Arguing that the crisis should be seen as a racial matter, this article explains how Puerto Rico’s political status, as unincorporated territory, as well as Puerto Ricans’ unequal citizenship, are based on racist beliefs. Thus, colonial rule in Puerto Rico was predicated on the assumption that Puerto Ricans were of a lesser race and this “low” racial status followed them into the Diaspora. Trump’s response continues this history of racism.

Focusing on the town of Loíza, this article explains how and why it has been marginalized in relief efforts. For instance, it has one truck to distribute water, the mayor hasn’t been provided with a satellite phone, and no U.S. soldier has arrived to help. Loíza’s location (20 minutes from the airport) makes it seem like it would have easy access to aid, but for many days after the storm, the residents have been in shelters and barely receiving food or water. One resident that the article cites explains that her community is very poor, and that Trump didn’t go to Loíza, but to a town that is rich.

Before Hurricane María, Puerto Ricans paid higher prices for goods because most supplies are shipped and can only be delivered by U.S. ships. As this article describes, after the Hurricane and more than five weeks without electricity, residents are forced to spend even more money for survival, in addition to paying for damage caused by the storm. For instance, many must buy gas daily in order to keep generators working, and, because of the lack of electricity, many eat at restaurants for every meal. Furthermore, supermarkets have increased their prices.

This article follows the hardship faced after Hurricane Irma by a family that lives in Loíza, which greatly contrasts with San Juan’s recuperation after the storm. Even though Irma didn’t hit the Island directly, it revealed the antiquated infrastructure that has not received maintenance for over a decade. Governor Roselló sees what Hurricane Irma exposed as a possibility: he hopes that PROMESA will expedite the process for private investment in electric, highway, and water projects.

This video depicts the devastation left by Hurricane María in Puerto Rico’s mountainous highland region in the interior of the Island, in towns like Lares and Las Marías. Through interviews with locals, one can see that this area suffered more than the urban areas because of lack of access to supplies and because austerity measures hit these areas harder, since most of the population lives below the poverty line. The video depicts roads and houses that suffered serious infrastructural damage and are at risk of falling off precipices.

Facing constant flash flood warnings, Puerto Ricans are recommended to seek safety on higher ground. However, for the incarcerated who are in prisons along the coast and near high-risk flood areas, heeding this warning is challenging. This article explains why many family members were concerned; The Department of Corrections and Rehabilitations disallowed family visits and determined that prisoners would only be moved if there was an emergency.

After Hurricane María, women are more vulnerable due to various reasons: many are primary breadwinners and are likely to face unemployment, many will be forced to migrate in order to provide for their families, and cases of domestic violence are likely to increment. Concerning the latter, there is a risk that women will not be able to report cases of domestic violence due to issues with electricity and communication services. This article also describes the various struggles faced by shelters that protect victims of domestic violence.

If there is little money to rebuild after Hurricane Maria, there is even less to help those struggling with addiction. This video describes the life of the homeless that struggle with heroin addiction. The only help they receive is from a charity that provides them with food and a needle exchange. Vicente, the leader of the charity, explains that the federal government doesn’t care about the problems of Puerto Ricans addicts and that the only reason Trump is now concerned with the drug epidemic in the US is that it is invading the suburban, white population.

This article analyses the impact of hurricane Maria on the younger generation. The trauma left behind when the power went out, food became scarce, and the situation seemed hopeless. This trauma has resulted in an increase in suicides, with 87 suicides from the time the hurricane hit the island, to the end of 2017; the previous year, there were 47 suicides. There has been an increase in mental health issues amongst the youth due to the uncertainty of the island’s repair. Additionally, la Junta’s shutting down of many schools had made any return to normalcy difficult.

Sustainable Futures: Debt Relief and Beyond

Even though Puerto Rico imports 85% of its food, before Hurricane María the Island was experiencing slow improvements in its agricultural development and farm income. However, after the hurricane, Puerto Rico lost 80% of its crop values. One of the chefs of El Departamento de La Comida, a farm-to-table restaurant, explains that she will not be reopening, but is now dedicated to the long-term goal of rebuilding Puerto Rico’s food system. According to her, this is the perfect moment to push for sustainable agriculture and sustainable energy. This article also describes other efforts El Departamento de la Comida is heading.

In 2016, 60% of Puerto Rico power needs were fulfilled via the very expensive method of burning oil (compared to 0.3% in the US). The very high petroleum prices were one major reason PREPA was increasingly gettingin debt. Instead of using money to fix Puerto Rico’s old and failing fossil fuel electrical system, this article recommends taking advantage of hurricane money to turn the Island towards clean energy. It also explains the advantages and disadvantages of various types of renewable energy.

Although only 3% of Puerto Rico’s power comes from wind and solar sources, just 10% of these existing resources could provide over a third of the Island’s electricity demand. This article explains the plethora of benefits if the Island switched to renewable power: it would be more resilient in severe storms, it would be more economical, the electric utility could charge its customers lower rates, etc. However, the main challenge to renewable energy in Puerto Rico is the Island’s debt crisis.

Many have celebrated Puerto Ricans’ local efforts toward recovery. However, this article argues that it is not enough to merely praise Puerto Ricans’ resiliency, but it is also necessary to support approaches that aim to radically transform Puerto Rico’s infrastructure. This transformation entails a recovery led by locals and activists, as well as debt relief and investment. This article discusses different radical efforts across the Island that include creating plans for sustainable energy as well as networks of pantries and solidarity kitchens. One crucial change the article proposes is an investment in the small-scaled and local efforts: for instance, seeking to develop micro-grids, solar communities, and other sustainable alternatives that empower communities, allowing them to manage their energy. Similarly, the article suggests that the government work with small and large-scale farmers in order to make Puerto Rico less dependent on imports.

The “shock doctrine” refers to how shocks or disasters can be exploited for private gain. This article explains Puerto Rico’s experience with this form of exploitation and the new risks it faces after Hurricane María: privatization and the land of destroyed homes becoming gold courses and vacation homes. This article has a hopeful outlook, stating that Puerto Ricans’ experience with disaster capitalism is making them fight back quickly. Many Puerto Ricans are working towards a justice-based recovery of regeneration that would replace the history of extractive strategies. A transformation of the energy system is one crucial element in this transition.

This considers various US laws and policies that must be altered or eliminated so that Puerto Rico can recuperate from Hurricane María. For instance, the cabotage laws force Puerto Ricans to use U.S. ships that are few and expensive for their imports, the ERISA act prioritizes the intermediary role of insurance companies in the health system, among others. In terms of how to deal with the debt, the author suggests that the US endorse new, competitive debt to pay off old, unsustainable debt.

Instead of merely aid and support, the US owes Puerto Rico a real attempt at restructuring its relationship with the Island. One of the ways to ensure a more just relationship entails eliminating the regulations on shipping to and from the Island that provide the US with corporate tax breaks and exclusive rights. This article also proposes that the US make available debt amnesty, a solution to the debt crisis that Puerto Rico deserves.

The effects of Hurricane María are exacerbated due to Puerto Rico’s colonial context. Thus, the process of reconstruction cannot merely be composed of a recuperation of electricity, water, and phone service. Instead, this article establishes the need to confront the already existing problems of social inequality, neoliberal practices and policies, the unilateral economic structure, and the Island’s political subordination. This author proposes an annulment of the debt, a local investment of the Island’s earnings, a fair redistribution of earnings, a participatory reorganization of labor in the public and private sectors, among other suggestions.

This article challenges the lack of media attention that Puerto Rico’s struggles for a public debt audit and access to public information have received. The audit would determine any illegal, unconstitutional, or illegitimate debt and serve to hold those responsible accountable. This audit is highly politicized on the Island, especially since various reports have found that the debt is mostly future interest on predatory loans and that a lot of it is composed of illegitimate issuance fees and capitalized interest on “scoop and toss” deals. With the lack of support from the unelected Fiscal Oversight Board, the grassroots movements that are fighting for a public audit play a crucial role in Puerto Rico’s recovery after Hurricane María.

In this letter addressed to the United States, the author informs the citizens of that country about the deteriorating state of the Island due to the federal governments’ disdainful response. The author challenges statements President Trump made about Puerto Ricans’ lacking character, and informs Americans about the Island’s political and economic colonial history, explaining that there lies the root of Puerto Rico’s faulty system that leads to public debt. The letter concludes by listing the things Puerto Rico needs, such as a Congress-financed economic reconstruction and a cancellation of the debt. The author calls for solidarity and unity among activists in the United States and those in Puerto Rico.

If austerity measures are postponed and reconstruction funds are received, Puerto Rico’s economy could be positive during for the 2017 fiscal year. However, if these actions do not occur, the economy will decrease by more than 4%. Regardless, the percentage will continue to drop without a transformed economic model. This article proposes various ways to stimulate economic development: eliminating cabotage laws, stimulating tourism via visa exemption programs, removing costly insurances from the public healthcare plan by including the Island in the ERISA law exemption, supporting local businesses through various policies, among other suggestions.

Hurricane María and its lasting effects have provoked many types of artistic responses. This article provides information about various artistic projects led by different institutions. For instance, the Museum of the Americas is organizing an event for poets, performers, musicians, and artists to illustrate their experiences. Also, both the editorial Flamboyán and the editorial N are preparing anthologies that will include the experiences of writers from across the Island.

This article discusses key works of art and literature that came out in the Caribbean during key potential apocalyptic crises like the Cuban Missile Crisis, to the suffering of Haiti, the only country in the Caribbean who gained its freedom with minimal assistance despite the stronghold France had on the country. The Caribbean also being treated as a U.S military playground can also contribute to these constant feelings of crisis

article highlights the key problems that were brought to the forefront. Puerto Rico is being taken advantage of and the widespread poverty of the island cannot be washed out with fancy hotels and malls. The island still received much less help than any other hurricane-ravaged community

This piece shows how attention was only going to be brought to Puerto Rico’s crippled electric grid after the Hurricane; the grid had not been maintained for a long time. This, coupled with the corruption within PREPA has created an entity which routinely lets down the most disenfranchised and poorest of people who either live in remote neighborhoods or cannot afford to have a back up generator running when the power (inevitably) runs out.

This Manifest paints a picture how tragically beautiful the situation was in Puerto Rico where many neighbors came together with the common goal of keeping each other alive throughout these hard time. The author recognizes how the systemic oppression of the island has eradicated many services that benefited the poorest most in order to line the pockets of the richest. While Hurricane Maria made the most disenfranchised open to even more abuse and corruption, it also brought many islanders together in the attempt to rebuild a Puerto Rico that benefits all. The authors laid down a list of rules and demands, guaranteeing human rights for all citizens of the island through implementing an economic model that works for all, clean energy, a universal health care system, and an overall reliable infrastructure.